Through the Eyes of the Queen
by FuyuSarah
Summary: There was a time to be cheerful, there was a time to grieve. A time to be a mother, a time to be a friend. But, as Uberta knows all too well, it was always the time to be a Queen.
1. Chapter 1: The Queen Gives Orders

**Chapter 1**

"_What else is there?"_

The sound of those four words kept echoing in Queen Uberta's ears as her maid removed yet another pin from her hair. Behind her, the servants were silent as they scurried about to prepare her bedchamber, fully aware of their queen's foul mood. Truth be told, Uberta wanted nothing more than to go and knock some sense into her son's head, instead of sitting at her vanity and getting ready for bed.

But she had already tried earlier, whirling around to face him and fully ready to release four paragraphs—maybe five—of reprimand. Instead of the expected tirade, however, her jaw had felt tight and clamped together, and she could do nothing but look at him in disappointment. And Derek, for his part, looked absolutely disappointed with himself, as well. He seemed to be one elbow-nudge away from lauching himself in front of Odette's horse to stop her from leaving, but Uberta had had enough of nudging him in the right direction.

"_What else is there?"_

Truly?

She had raised him better than that!

And Odette knew it, too, if their earlier conversation in her bedchamber had been any indication. The girl had been on the verge of tears that she couldn't even successfully fold her dress. (The fact that she was busying herself with the chore instead of letting her maid do it for her spoke volumes of her frustration.)

"I apologize for my conduct today, Your Highness," Odette had said. "I just...I just..."

"Oh, my dear child, I have known you since you were but a babe," Uberta had reminded her, placing a firm hand on the princess' shaking ones. "There is no need to try to be so formal and proper in front of me."

The young princess had nodded, but stayed silent.

"On Derek's behalf," Uberta had begun, "I do acknowledge that that was rather...dumb of him to say."

"But that's precisely it! He is NOT dumb!" Odette had blurted out, finally giving up on her dress. "He is not dumb! He is a smart, intelligent, and talented prince! He is not some immature, irresponsible imbecile with no proper backbone, and yet he magically turns into one at the most crucial of moments and it is infuriating and sometimes I wonder how in the world I could have fallen for him!"

Uberta hadn't been able help but smile at the sliver of admiration shining through the princess' anger, not to mention the almost unconscious admission of her true feelings. "Perhaps he was just inarticulate in expressing his feelings," the Queen had suggested.

Odette had sighed, folding to sit on her bed. "Perhaps he doesn't have feelings."

"...What?"

"Derek speaks his mind when he wants to. He's opinionated and when he's determined to do something he finds a way to do it. Perhaps... Perhaps he _doesn't_ love me."

"Oh, my dear! I will have none of that! Derek loves you, it's obvious even to a passing stranger! Why, he's loved you long before he realized it himself. He may not know how to explain it—I dare say, neither of you have shown your true feelings quite clearly. Perhaps in the coming days—"

"Oh! Oh, no! I can't face him again! Not after what happened..."

"Well... Then, perhaps next summer?"

Odette had smiled then, albeit sadly. "A lot can happen in a year, Your Highness."

A lot can happen in a year; this was true. If years and years of plans could be destroyed in a single day—nay, a single _sentence—_what more a year?

Oh, all those years! All the plans she and King William had had for their joined kingdoms. All that time and effort of preparing the citizens. All those summers of friendship—they truly were friends, neither Derek nor Odette nor anybody else could deny it even now. It was all for naught, wasn't it?

Time wasn't something that could be returned, and broken hearts were not an easy thing to repair. And as Uberta dismissed her maids so that she could have a moment's peace to listen to the rain and idly braid her hair, she could only hope that everything would be all right.

She didn't know how long she sat at her vanity, but when a knock came at her door to snap her out of her reverie, she found that her hair had been braided to the ends and that the candle by her mirror was already almost out.

The knock came again, and this time Uberta realized how heavy and urgent it was.

"Just a moment!" Uberta called, pulling her robe more securely around her.

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness," the servant girl outside answered in a most distressing tone, "but something has happened!"

Uberta recognized the voice of Mila, her maid that usually helped her fix her hair up in the mornings and let her hair down at night. The girl knew to not disturb her at night unless it was a matter of utmost importance.

Uberta pulled the door open to see Mila's pale face and, suprisingly, the Lord Rogers behind her. At the sight of him, Uberta felt her whole being rapidly fill to the brim with dread. If Rogers was here...

"I want to know what has happened, what is being done, and where my son is," Uberta declared, already sweeping into the hallway.

"King William's party was attacked," Rogers answered, quickly following her. "His captain barely made it back to tell us. The King... The King did not make it, Your Highness."

Uberta abruptly stopped, whipping around to look at Rogers. The old man only silently looked at her for a beat before closing his eyes and nodding sadly.

Closing her own eyes, Uberta took a steadying breath.

A second one.

And then a third.

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Inhale, exhale.

"What of Princess Odette?" Her voice cracked. Inhale, exhale.

"Our best guards are looking for her."

"Where is Derek?"

"He is outside with the guards, Your Highness."

A pause. A swish of clothing. And then Uberta was again purposefully striding through the halls, very much the Queen that she was regardless of her loose braid, her comfortable robe, and the lack of her crown upon her head.

"How many guards?"

"Five of our best, Your Highness."

"Do we know who the attackers were?"

"King William's captain said it was... a 'great animal', Your Majesty."

"His condition?"

"He passed before he can say anything else."

"Any other survivors?"

"...None that we know of, Your Highness."

Inhale, exhale.

Keep walking.

"Do you mean to tell me, Rogers, that my son is out there, in the rain, looking for the princess while a 'great animal', one that killed every single one of King William's armed guards, prowls about? With only five guards to suppport him?"

The Lord Rogers flinched under Uberta's sharp glare, and the Queen had to remind herself that he was, in fact, the royal musical director and Derek's counselor, and _not_ the Captain of the Guard.

Inhale, exhale, steady strides. Almost there.

"Mila," Uberta addressed the servant silently following her, "make sure the healers are ready. Make sure they have enough helpers in case all the guards have been wounded or worse. Station them near the entrance through which King William's captain entered, and make sure they have plenty of blankets and hot water."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As Mila ran off to her task, she turned her attention back to Rogers.

"Is the captain of the guard here?"

"Yes, he is readying another two units of guards to relieve the ones outside."

"Tell him to make it three, and to alert the archers at the gates to be at the ready for defense, just in case."

"Yes, Your Highness."

By the time Uberta reached the entrance where King William's captain had entered and collapsed, Mila was there, as well, bustling about with the healers and arranging the place so as to have the most efficient flow of people in the room. Uberta made a mental note to promote her to something else other than fixing her hair.

From the corner of her eye the Queen saw Derek's best friend Bromley, who looked desperate to help, and yet rather lost. Not to look down on the boy, but Uberta was quite sure that Bromley had tried to offer assistance, but only ended up tripping over something.

"Lost to Derek again, I see," Uberta quipped after stealing a glance at the chess board.

"Eh," Bromley shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "sometimes I wonder why I even try. Princess Odette's the only one who can beat him."

The Queen allowed herself a small chuckle. Bromley was always nice to have around in times like this.

"Bromley, might I request that you do a task for me?"

"Anything, Your Highness."

"I would appreciate it greatly if you went to the kitchens and had them prepare hot soup. Lots of it."

Bromley, who always enjoyed it when sent to a royal task, smiled widely, and opened his mouth, probably about to thank the Queen. Whatever he was supposed to say, however, was drowned out by the sound of the doors bursting open, letting in the wind, rain, the sound of thunder, and three guards helping a man, one that Uberta is most familiar with, limp into the hall.

"Derek!"

Uberta all but flew to her son, helping him settle into the nearest stretcher. She barely had the mind to yell, "Go, Bromley!" to which the lad responded by running full-speed to the kitchens, before giving her son a hasty once-over.

Derek's breathing was heavy and ragged, which was both a relief—_oh, thank God he's alive!_—and a worrisome thing. He was shivering and drenched to the bone like all the other guards; the servants were already removing his heavy, wet clothing to replace it with dry ones. There were no suspicious red blotches anywhere, thankfully, but there was mud splattered on his arms, torso... even his head! His boots, once grey in color, were now completely dark brown. All of his limbs seemed to be in a correct angle, so perhaps nothing was broken...

But, as Uberta discovered the moment she touched him, he was burning up with a fever. And that his voice was weak and hoarse, and yet he kept calling for the princess over and over, as if it were a prayer.

"Odette... Odette..."

As the Queen held her son's clenched hand in her own, Uberta wondered, "What on earth happened out there?"

* * *

**Author's notes: **To be continued? Yes? No?

After a recent rewatch of _The Swan Princess_, I was reminded of how I used to think that Uberta was...I don't know...less than supportive of Derek's search for Odette. I mean, surely Uberta thought of her as a daughter, and considering that she had spent years pushing the kids together, I thought that she must have gone through a process before she decides that Odette is gone and that her son should find another bride. This fic is an imagining of that process.

This is _The Swan Princess_ from Uberta's POV, but it won't be simply the movie from another angle. Most of the stuff here won't be from the movie, but this isn't AU, either. There won't be much of Odette, but I suppose there will be a lot of Derek, seeing as it's his mother who's the main character.

In this chapter I tried to tap into her motherly side, as well as her Queen-ness. Although most of us remember her just as an incredibly happy-go-lucky queen, there _were _many hints that she was stern, and commanding, as well.

Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2: The Queen is a Mother

**Chapter 2**

It should have been no surprise to anybody when the Crown Prince of Chamberg was returned to the castle with delirious fever. No matter how able-bodied Derek was, he was still a human being with no magical powers, and hours of running and shouting in the cold rain was still hours of running and shouting in the cold rain. Why, even his noble steed had been worn out to exhaustion.

The guards, once they had caught up with him, had pleaded for the prince to return to the safe confines of the castle, Uberta had been told, but he would have none of it, and searched and tracked and desperately looked for even the smallest clue to go on. Nothing could restrain him, not even the five guards attempting to block him—not that they could actually bodily stop him; the furious, determined gleam in his eyes and the fact that he was their _prince_ hindered them from doing so—and the only reason he stopped was that his legs eventually gave out under him in fatigue. Even when he was on his knees in the forest, he strove to stand up and charge on before he collapsed again and passed out completely.

"Really, Derek," Uberta sighed as she wiped his brow with a wet cloth. "You were never one to do things halfway, were you?"

The only response the queen received was the crackle of burning wood in the fireplace as Derek slept on. The royal physician had assured the queen that the prince only needed rest and rehydration, and he would be right as rain. Already he was showing signs of improvement. His breathing, though still shallow, had finally somewhat steadied, and his formerly tense muscles had relaxed, save for his furrowed eyebrows and involuntary wincing every now and then. His temperature was still at an alarming warmth, however, which was why Uberta had not left his bedside. Adult prince or not, Derek was still her son; she wouldn't be able to sleep even if she was to return to her bedchambers, as everyone had asked her to.

"Well," the queen laughed, shaking her head, "At least we know where your stubbornness comes from, don't we?"

Again, the unconscious prince said nothing. Uberta dipped the cloth in the basin while humming a tune, and continued the one-sided conversation.

"To tell you the truth, Derek, I can't imagine why you were so surprised when you saw Odette in the ballroom. It's not like she wasn't beautiful before this summer. Well, I suppose she was a rather awkward little dear for a time, but what pre-adolescent girl wasn't?"

If Derek had been awake he would have said something about Odette's ugly braids and her freckles. But since he wasn't, Uberta went on.

"As for her lack of being ladylike then, I really do believe she was trying to keep up with you and Bromley. And she did make up for it magnificently when she bloomed into a young lady; you were lying through your teeth when you denied it! Muttering something about cards and such nonsense..."

If Derek had been awake he would have sputtered some unintelligent denial before turning away to look for an inanimate object to shoot an arrow through.

Uberta's eyes fell on his hand, the one that had been a clenched into a fist the whole night. His fingers had finally relaxed, letting Uberta to catch a glimpse of what Derek had been clutching the whole night. The healers had been trying to pry his fist open, in fear that maybe he had a wound there. Rogers, on the other hand, thought that perhaps Derek had found a clue to Odette's location, after all, and was steadfastly holding on to it, even in unconsciousness. What Uberta saw, however was neither a wound nor a cryptic, unfamilar clue. What was resting on Derek's palm was Odette's golden necklace.

At the sight of the princess' treasure, Uberta gasped, and suddenly her mind was filled with the worst things that could happen to Odette... Ones that would have caused her golden chain to fall from her neck...

Uberta shook her head fiercely, abruptly stopping that train of thought. Clenching her own fists she told herself, _No. NO._

Just...**NO**.

She opened her eyes slowly. Odette's necklace was still there, and it was clean, Uberta noticed. No red spots, either. Good.

Carefully, as if afraid that the necklace would suddenly disappear, Uberta reached out to take it from Derek's palm. She had to examine it and see that it really didn't have any trace of... anything undesirable. But even before she could touch the keepsake, Derek's fingers protectively closed around it again, and a weak protest ground out of his hoarse throat.

"Nggh..." was all the prince could manage to whisper.

"Sssh, darling," Uberta replied, gently laying a hand on Derek's fist, as if in apology for attempting to take the necklace from him, as if encouraging him to hold on to the golden trinket. The crease between Derek's brow gradually disappeared, and after a few beats, his breathing evened out, as well.

Despite the grave events of the evening—or perhaps in an effort to fight it—the corners of Uberta's lips lifted.

"You really should have seen your face when you first saw her wearing that," the queen said, grinning. She could almost hear Derek exclaiming, "Mother!" in objection, like he always did when she teased him. She laughed outright this time, her shoulders bobbing up and down, as she swatted his arm as if he truly did speak.

"Ohoho! I can still remember it as clearly as if it happened a few minutes ago—Now, Derek, don't you start saying that I'm imagining things!" Uberta wagged a finger at her son's nose. When he didn't huff and roll his eyes, Uberta sighed, reminiscing, "You stubbornly staying up in that tree until Odette threw an apple at you... Oh, the way it smacked you on the forehead was priceless! And then that fancy swinging-down-the-branch stunt you pulled... Somersaulting from that height! Almost gave me a heart attack—"

Uberta suddenly stopped, blinking in surprise at what she had just said. True, the children had yelled at each other before Derek jumped off the branch and landed with a flourish, but... Oh, it couldn't be!

Could it?

"Why, Derek!" Uberta gasped. "You were out to impress her! That's what the jump was for, wasn't it?"

Uberta laughed again, partly at her son, but partly at herself for not noticing earlier. She had heard Odette gasp behind her at that time, and Uberta had noticed the pink hue coloring the young, wide-eyed princess' cheeks, as well as the fact that she had been rather tongue-tied for a few moments, but the queen had been too busy reprimanding the prince to wonder what exactly had caused it.

"Oh, all right, all right, perhaps that had not been your intention. But I'll admit, boy, that jump did make you look rather handsome. Not that you weren't already handsome, you're my son, after all."

Uberta smiled, patting her hair out of habit. To that declaration, Derek would usually laugh and say, "That I am, Mother. That I am."

"Ah, but she got to you, too, didn't she? That scowl vanished from your face the moment you looked at her properly—and openly stared at her, I might add. Why, you were completely ignoring me! And when the sunlight had bounced off of her necklace... I didn't think you remembered that gift, but you did! Oh, by the utter joy on your face, I dare say you did."

Emphazing the words by lightly jabbing a teasing finger on his arm, the queen repeated, "Utter. Joy."

Uberta laughed once more before shrugging, rolling her eyes, and saying, "But then you had to cover it up with a well-practiced frown, didn't you? Oh, bother. We could have sealed the deal right there!"

Derek didn't reply. He slept on, completely oblivious to his mother's reprimand. For several moments there was silence. Uberta laid her palm briefly on her son's forehead.

"Well, at least your temperature has finally gone down some."

A pause.

"Odette is made of strong stuff, Derek. She is going to hold on, we are going to find her, and you are both going to survive this. One day, we are all going to look back to this day and..."

_...laugh._

That was what she was going to say. But _were_ they going to look back to this ordeal and laugh? Probably not. Her father, after all—

There was a polite knock on the door, cutting through Uberta's thoughts. Which was probably for the best, given the circumstances.

"Come in," Uberta replied quietly so as not to disturb Derek.

"Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty," Mila began from the doorway. Uberta only nodded.

There was a pause, and it seemed like Mila was going to say something else. Instead of speaking, however, she simply stepped forward and set a new basin of water by the bedside. She worked silently, carefully taking the used cloth and water. She gave them to the maid that accompanied her and sent the girl away. With Uberta's permission, Mila dipped a fresh cloth into the water and placed it upon Derek's forehead.

She gave Uberta a bow before finally speaking.

"The Captain of the Guard sends word, Your Majesty," she began. "The search party has just returned. The Captain reports, with regret, that no sign of Princess Odette's whereabouts has been found. Another search party is being organized as we speak."

"I see," Uberta answered, her lips in a thin line. "And why is he not the one in this room to give this report?"

Mila bowed her head, perhaps afraid to look the queen in the eye. Her voice, however, remained steady. "He and Lord Rogers are coordinating the volunteers, Your Highness. Quite a number of the gentry has arrived, as well as people from the town. The Captain is quite certain that this number will increase now that dawn is upon us."

At the prompt, Uberta turned to look at the open window. She didn't even notice!

"Indeed," she replied, taking a deep inhale of air. "Where is King William?"

"He is in the warmth of the Castle, Your Highness."

"And his crew on the ship?"

"They have been sent for, but only a handful accepted our offer for them to stay in the castle. Most have chosen to remain on board and wait for further instructions. Their supplies have been replenished."

"Make sure that they are provided breakfast," Uberta reminded her, "and also send them another offer to stay here."

"It is done, Highness. I already took the liberty."

"Oh!" Uberta smiled, reminding herself that she really ought to promote the maid sometime soon. "Very good, very good."

There was a brief moment of silence before the maid addressed her again.

"My Queen, now that the Prince is sleeping soundly, perhaps it is also time for you to take your rest..."

Uberta regarded the maid before her. Because of Uberta's jolly, talkative, and somewhat eccentric self, most people weren't used to her stern, thoughtful, queenly side. Most people, when faced with this side of Uberta, usually stuttered into silence. Only a few—namely Rogers, and probably, _only _Rogers—had the backbone to stand before the queen and tell her their personal opinion.

"Thank you, my dear," Uberta said, "but I think I'll be alright here."

"Your Highness," the maid spoke, making the queen turn to her, blinking, "if I may: I believe the Prince would not wish for you to sacrifice your health for him."

At this, Uberta turned to the form of her sleeping son. Derek appeared to be deep in a restful sleep; if Uberta didn't know better, she would have thought that nothing was wrong.

But the truth was, Uberta _did_ know better, and something _was_ wrong...

On the other hand, Mila was right. Derek wouldn't want Uberta to wear herself out. For all his indulgent sighs of, "Of course, Mother," and his eye rolling, Derek had always taken care of Uberta and made sure she hadn't gone off of her head too much.

"You are right," Uberta admitted. "But I think I'll stay here."

"But, Your Majesty—!"

"I will not be persuaded otherwise!" Uberta raised her voice, only a little. Derek was still asleep, after all. Mila bowed her head. "Fetch me a more comfortable chair," she commanded. "One of the more..._cushion-y_ ones or whatever they're called."

Mila curtseyed and motioned to leave the room, but before she was out of the door, Uberta spoke again.

"You had better get used to it," she said. "If you're going to be my personal aid, you have to know when I am open for negotiation or not. Take notes from Rogers."

There was silence again, and out of the corner of her eye, Uberta saw Mila hesitate, her eyes wide.

"Well, go on, then," Uberta prompted, "you mustn't keep the Queen waiting! Add that into your notes."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Uberta distinctly heard a hint of relief in Mila's voice, and when she heard the door close, she couldn't keep a grin from escaping her lips. Pulling the servants' legs was such great fun sometimes.

With this happy thought, the sight of Derek finally at ease, and the feeling of the more comfortable, cushioned seat Mila later brought for her, Uberta finally laid her head upon a pillow. She fell asleep shortly after, dreaming of more pleasant evenings of drinking tea and reading a book beside the fireplace. She dreamed of Derek rolling his eyes at her, grinning, and tucking her blanket more securely around her shoulders.

In her sleep, Ubert smiled, even as she felt Derek gingerly place a kiss upon her forehead.

"Sleep well, Mother."

* * *

**A word from the author: **I think I had a little too much fun with Derek in this chapter. Haha! I'd love to know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: The Queen Holds the Fort

**Chapter 3**

That Derek had awoken mere minutes after Uberta had closed her eyes should have been a rather funny thing. But seeing how things played out, Uberta could find no energy to laugh.

Derek, once he woke up, had marched to the Captain of the Guard to join the search. Lord Rogers had forbidden it, of course; Uberta would have had his head if he hadn't. Not to be dissuaded, Derek had attempted to go off to search with only Bromley to accompany him. When Uberta had interviewed Bromley later, he reluctantly reported that it took Derek several tries to get on the horse. And that barely ten seconds after saying, "See, Brom? I told you I'm well enough to get on a horse," Derek had nearly fallen off of it, and his fever had returned from overexertion.

Enough, Uberta decided, was enough.

"It is settled," she declared, turning to her son. "Derek, you are hereby sentenced to house arrest. You are forbidden to leave this room until the royal physician has declared you well. Any objections?"

Silence.

"Uberta," came Rogers' voice behind her. "Derek might be unable to answer because he is currently unconscious."

Uberta ignored him, whirling around to yell, "Bromley!" From where he was standing a few feet away, the boy jumped. And gulped rather audibly. "You are to be Derek's personal guard at this time, and make sure he follows his orders."

"Me?" Bromley echoed, looking delighted, honored, and very afraid, all at the same time. The sound of being the prince's personal guard sounded mighty impressive, but the responsibility was also rather heavy. Bromley looked like he was half-prepared to boast of his skills... or break down and admit that he was sure he couldn't do it.

"Yes, you," Uberta said, looking at him pointedly. "You are never to leave his side, and he is never to leave this room."

"Never to leave the room?" Bromley echoed again. "But how will he eat?"

"Food will be brought here. He is _not_ to spend his energy, do you hear me? No climbing down the windows, no sneaking off to look for Odette, and absolutely no riding horses!"

"But, I'm not going to be able to stop him—"

"You are his best friend," Uberta reminded him, her voice rising. "Put that title to good use! Do you want to see him collapse again?"

"Now, Uberta," Rogers mediated, "let's just take a deep breath and calm down—"

"Calm down," Uberta echoed, whirling to face Rogers. "'Take a deep breath and calm down', Rogers? One of my _dear_ friends is killed, his daughter that I have seen as my _own_ is missing, and my son, my _only_ son has fought a high fever the whole night only to succumb to it again, and you tell me to _calm down_?" Uberta paused, daring Rogers to reply. He did not. "**NO**, Rogers, I will NOT**! **I will not take a deep breath and calm down! I will— I will— I will YELL some more, let the pitch of my voice climb even HIGHER like so, and _THEN_ calm down! THAT is what I will do! And no one—NO ONE—can stop me!"

From the corner of her furious eyes she saw a handful of dots—most likely to be birds—fly out of a tree somewhere in the horizon. Uberta doubted that her voice carried so far, but if it did, then she hoped that the two nitwits in front of her would finally get her point. Bromley, indeed, was likely to follow whatever Uberta commanded next, even if it was to jump out of the window—which she wouldn't command him to do, not really; she wasn't _that_ angry with him—he was also as likely to faint in the very next second. Rogers, however, sported a deadpan look as usual, regardless of the fact that her voice had slightly blown through the ends of his white hair.

"Feel better?" Rogers asked.

"Much." Uberta answered.

From behind Rogers, Bromley let out a substantial sigh of relief. And even though Uberta's order for Derek's house arrest remained, he never voiced out an objection again.

The next week saw a continuous stream of people coming in and out of the castle. Search party after search party was sent. They were made of soldiers, the gentry, and the townspeople of different shapes, sizes and skill. There were lords, hunters, farmers, all striving to look for the dear young princess that they were all prepared to receive as future queen. People would go do their regular work before coming to the castle to join the search efforts. Those who were not as able-bodied came to offer their services in another manner, such as take turns cooking or helping in washing clothes and uniforms. Some went to the library to help Derek in his own search—the search in the library, that is, to find the "great animal" that King William was referring to.

But despite all the wholehearted work, no one, thus far, had been successful.

Uberta had to constantly remind herself that it was not entirely the fault of the Captain of the Guard. In the first days of the search, there were times when she would yell at him at push his troops to look better—_"I don't care if you've already looked there! Look again! You might have missed a spot! And for goodness' sake, send people with better vision!"_—but Uberta had soon realized that the Captain, along with all the volunteers, were doing all the best they could.

And amidst the flurry caused by the search for the missing princess, Uberta had other things to deal with. After all, Odette was not the only person of concern involved in all this. There was also her father. There was also their whole kingdom, left without their leader. Uberta had already sent a letter to them, saying that King William's ship shall soon return, along with their king, as well as Chamberg's queen. And that, if it was favorable to the council, she shall meet with them to discuss pressing matters.

It was not an easy letter to write. It being a royal correspondence about such a grave matter was one thing. It being about a grave matter about King William was another. Her eyes watered. Her hand shook. Somehow, putting the truth on paper made it feel more real—more than seeing King William's lifeless body ever did. Indeed, it was after she sent that letter that Uberta made her way to the library, and, upon finding Derek alone—"I sent everyone to go home for the night... Why aren't _you_ in bed yet, Mother?"—the Queen allowed herself to fall to her knees and weep.

Usually, when Uberta would theatrically wail her despair over something, Derek would readily have smiling words that would get her back to her loud, exuberant self. But no such words came, this time. Quite fitting, because Uberta wasn't throwing theatrics, this time. She could barely speak, and for a long while her throat refused to let anything through except broken sobs.

Uberta, if she was to be honest with herself, was exhausted. The mental exertion—coordinating the search for Princess Odette and thinking of what to do with King William's country while ensuring that Chamberg still ran and maintained its strong relations with other countries—was one thing. The emotional exertion was truly quite another.

Thank goodness Derek was finally well. Uberta couldn't imagine going through this with him still fever-ridden. Or worse, out there looking for the "great animal" and very possibly getting himself killed.

Uberta chest constricted at the thought, and she felt another wave of tears coming. Instead, she held herself back, choosing instead to swallow her sobs.

She took a moment to ground herself. The next time she spoke, it was in a broken hiccup, but at least she finally managed to command her vocal chords to say, "I got your shirt all wet."

Derek shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Mother," he said, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief. "You employed such good launderers."

"Yes, well," Uberta huffed, still a bit hoarsely from her crying, "only the best of the kingdom for the royal family, don't you think?— Oh, Derek, he was such a good friend! King William, I mean. It took no more than one look, you know. One look and we already knew what the other was thinking."

A pause.

"Marrying me off to some girl at the tender age of 5, you mean?"

"Derek!" Uberta gasped, thwacking his arm as he laughed. "I wasn't talking about just that!— Well, alright, that _was_ one of the things, I suppose, but I wasn't talking about _just_ that!"

"Alright, alright!" Derek held his hands up in surrender, "Enough swatting, already!"

"And, please, it wasn't _some_ girl; it was _Odette_. And you happened to fall in love with her."

Derek's laughter died.

"Hm." was his only reply.

Then he was pulling Uberta up to stand, and then he was smiling at her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and then he was escorting her back to her room and bidding her a "Good night, Mother."

Uberta could only sigh. Derek truly loved Odette, for him to be so affected at the mere mention of the princess' name. She wondered, not for the first time that week, what would happen if their search efforts continued to be unsuccessful. Or if they were successful but found that Odette was truly, utterly gone from the world. She wondered how long it would take for Derek to recover, if that was so. Uberta wished it wouldn't take too long. For his sake, and hers.

Because, truthfully, the Queen did not know how long she could hold the fort by herself.

* * *

**Author's notes: **One year of false starts, scrapped scenes, deleted dialogues, and complete rewrites, Chapter 3 is FINALLY published.

Goodness, that took a while. Also, it's a bit shorter than usual. And the ending isn't very...happy. Which kind of me pressuring myself to write a continuation. Ahahaha.

Still, it's nice to finally get some Uberta-Derek conversations in there. I'm hoping to write more, and I really can't wait until I get to writing Uberta as her fun, flamboyant self.

If anyone's still reading this, please let me know what you think!


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